Brass roller action key pivot mounting



BRASS ROLLER ACTION KEY PIVOT MOUNTING Filed Aug. 13. 1962 INVENTOR. 77-70mm, 5. a .0064 Z@ .5 BY

Af/QENEY United States Patent Ofilice 3,165,965 Patented Jan. 19, 19%5 3 165,965 BRASS ROLLER ACTlbN KEY PIVOT MOUNTENG Thomas S. Lo Duca, 2245 N. 24th Place, Milwaukee 5, Wis. Filed Aug. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 216,534 1 Claim. (Cl. 84435) This invention relates to improvements for key pivot mountings for musical instruments, and more particularly to a novel brass roller action key pivot mounting.

An object of the invention is to provide a key pivot mounting that will eliminate side sway.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type which will insure an easy, smooth and quiet key manipulation so essential in various musical instruments.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of an instrument keyboard.

FIG. 2 is a side view partly in elevation and partly in section of a key joined with a pivot mounting embodying the invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional View taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a key fragment and a brass roller.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral refers to the base frame plate, which has subjoined thereto the frontal angular plate 11 carrying the angle member 12 provided with the felt strip 13 as a stop member. The plate 10 has a transverse looped portion at 14 which has a plurality of reversed eyes as at 15 to retain the axle 16. The loop 14 is provided with spaced apertures as at 17 to accommodate the brass roller pivots 18, each of which has the spaced grooves 20 and 21 to receive the edges of the cut-out portions at 22 of the enlargements 23 on the channel sides 24 and 25 of the channels 26 forming the skeletons of the key members 27 and 28. Each channel 26 has an integral depending loop portion 29 which impinges upwardly against the stop 30 and which is also limited in downward movement by the stop angle member 12 and felt stripping 13.

An arcuate finger 31 is struck upwardly from the frame 10 serving to anchor a coil spring 32 which is also engaged with the finger 33 on the key channel 26 to maintain the key in normal upward position.

It will be understood that the device is capable of many modifications in structure and design, without departing from the spirit of the invention, within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

A mounting for an instrument key including a base element, an axle supported thereby, an inverted channel underlying and integral with the instrument key, and a plurally circumferentially slotted cylindrical brass roller retained freely on said axle, said slots receiving recessed enlarged portions on said channel with a forced fit whereby the channel and roller pivot together on said axle, and spring means for normally maintaining said key in raised position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 928,750 7/09 Schuler 84-435 1,246,998 11/17 Pickard et al. 84- 435 FOREIGN PATENTS 402,013 2/ 43 Italy. 1,061,986 12/53 France. 555,973 2/57 Italy.

ROBERT L. EVANS, Primary Examiner. LEYLAND MARTIN, LEO SMILOW, Examiners. 

